Certain areas (e.g., rooms, secured production areas, etc.) can be accessed via a door (e.g., swinging door, sliding door, etc.), wherein, as desired, a particular defined physical area can be secured by employing a lock, a sensor, and/or other device on the door to the defined physical area. For example, an electromagnetic lock can be used to lock a door to a defined physical area, where the defined physical area can be used, for example, for storage of product, for production line operations, etc. Often, it can be desirable to be able to latch the door to hold the door in a desired position (e.g., closed position) in relation to the door frame, where, for example, the door can then be locked to facilitate securing the defined physical area.
One type of conventional door latch accomplishes latching of the door by using an electromagnet with variable current. Certain issues can arise when using such conventional door latches. For instance, such a conventional door latch consumes energy while producing the latching. Also, a loss of power creates a loss of latching by such door latch. Due in part to these drawbacks, such conventional door latches may not be suitable and/or may not be allowed in certain applications, such as some safety applications, for example. Another type of conventional door latch accomplishes latching of the door using a permanent magnet, wherein the magnet is integrated with the lock. With this type of conventional door latch, it is not possible to vary the latching conditions without degrading the locking quality of the lock (e.g., safety lock). Also, some conventional door latches are integrated with door stops, wherein such door latches may allow for some adjustment. However, such conventional door latches do not allow for adjustment of the door latch while at the same time allowing for predictable and desirable force profile settings.
It is desirable to be able to hold or latch a door in a desired locational position (e.g., closed position) in relation to a door frame with a desired amount of force without consuming power to produce the force, while, for example, a safety switch or safety lock associated with the door is activated, and at the same time, providing a stop for the door. It also is desirable to be able to intelligently adjust the amount of latching force used to hold the door in the desired locational position. It is further desirable to reduce or minimize shock to a device, such as a lock, sensor, or switch, attached to the door frame (or door), during closing of the door, to facilitate reducing or minimizing harm to or operational problems with such device.